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[ Yeah, he really deserves that glare. Terry knows it too, that's why his expression turns into an awkward, nervous half smile instead. He thought he was going to get punched! But is thankful that he isn't for now. ]

Fine, fine.

[ Terry unfolds the paper airplane and straightens it out. ]

"It's been a month since I saw you, but my answer will still be a no. If you think I'd just agree quickly because of your position, you had another thing coming. Though maybe it was better that you knocked me out because I'm now in a place where none of you can reach me. That's too bad."

[ Kido would just have to take his word for it for the legitimacy of the contents, but Terry did read it word for word. He folds the paper into halves twice and tears it in half. It really does feel like a message in a bottle kind of thing in the form of a former paper airplane. He's also blatantly ignoring the existence of the second paper airplane for reasons, so he won't ask for that... ]

[ The frown on Kido's face grows as she listens, but rather than angry, it's uncertain, a little bit embarrassed, because it's very clearly meant to be a letter to somebody specific and she's not the person who should hear it. ]

...It's better to reject somebody in person than in a letter, [ she mumbles, going over to the bed so she can sit on it. ]

Back when we first met, you said you got hit hard enough to be knocked out. Is this to the friend you were arguing with?

It's to that person, yeah, but she's not my friend. She's not here, and really... I just wrote that in the moment.

[ When he thinks about how similar it is to his original's habit of keeping audio diaries, it makes him want to frown in disgust, but he keeps the same face as always. That's why he didn't hesitate to tear the paper in half. Into the trash bin you go. ]

She's my original's girlfriend.

[ She really doesn't want to know, and it sounds like a mess to be caught up in. Definitely not something she should pry into. She should just leave it. ]

But she's somebody important, for you to have written all this to her?

[ She gestures a bit to all the other papers scattered about the room, as well as who knows how many airplanes that have flown outside. All she can make out from this one letter is that this girl asked Terry something, he said no, and she punched him in the face. It's pretty scary how easily she can see herself in this girl's shoes. ]

Huh? I only wrote one about her. The others are...

[ ... ]

You'll have to figure that out yourself!

[ No she doesn't. She takes the second airplane out of the bag and holds it up to him. ]

Read.

Wha--

[ Oh god she really had the second airplane. Terry slightly turns red at the face--he can tell it's the dreaded one because he folded the wings a little differently than the others. ]

No! Get someone else to do it!

What, is it something embarrassing? If it is, it's better if you read it out loud, not somebody else, isn't it?

[ She pulls her hand back at little- not to spare Terry from having to read it, but so she can make sure he doesn't just grab it out of her hands and tear it up like the last one. ]

If it's embarrassing, why would I want to read it out loud?!

[ Kido??? ]

Oh my god, this is payback, isn't it? I'm still not gonna read it!

Because then it stays between us, instead of being shared among others, right? It can't be that embarrassing, if you threw it out the window for anybody to see.

[ It's payback and she keeps the piece of paper held up in front of her chest so he can't ignore it if he keeps looking at her. ]

I threw it out the window without my name on it, wrote in English, IN A JAPANESE TOWN, in hopes that no one would pay attention to it and throw it in the garbage!

[ AAAAAAAAAAaaaa

This is why he can't bully anyone. He just gets hit back tenfold. And it hurts. ]

[ It's karma for littering!!! ]

English is learned in Japanese schools all the time.

[ Which doesn't help her at all, since she never went and never learned. She would ask somebody else to read it for her, but she's mentally going through the list of people she knows here, and they're all pretty... unreliable...

Why isn't there anybody smart here? ]

[ Maybe Terry knew about the latter, so that's why he was banking on it. Just a little bit. He's still dumb though, when he could have just thrown it into the trash himself, but he probably couldn't do it for some reason. ]

Nothing I wrote in there sounds like "I have a pen".

[ aka the most generic stuff you usually learn in classrooms ]

[ ...Kido takes the piece of paper back, and smooths out some of the other crumpled pieces of paper lying around her, stacking them in her lap. Even if she never learned how to read English, and even if there's no Google translator around, that doesn't mean it's impossible. ]

I'll leave you to look after Hayato and Suzume tomorrow, then, while I stay in the library.

[ Just painstakingly translating this word for word. It honestly sounds like such a pain, to the point that she wonders if it's even worth the effort, but if Terry's this embarrassed by it, it must be good blackmail material. ]

[ Terry is never going to tell Kido that he has a google translator app in that phone, but not even that will make him want to take his phone back. He's also appalled that Kido is taking the other papers too?! What the hell!!! He is just internally screaming at this point and tries to swipe at least ONE of them. ]

[ lmfao once Kido sees him trying to grab the papers, she's even more determined not to let him have any. Years of being quick and efficient at housework pays off, with her removing the papers closest to him first, before going about the room. ]

Good patients should stay seated and not exert themselves. I'm counting on you to babysit tomorrow, after all, so if you strain yourself here, that'd be too bad.

[ ugh

Ugh!!!!!

He can't argue with that logic, and be would totally babysit them for Kido, but this is a situation he would like to prevent. And he's failing pretty hard now. ]

You... you'll regret finding out!!

[ this is his last ditch effort to save himself ]

I'll take that chance.

[ The papers go into the bag, and from out of it, she pulls out three cans of cat food to drop into Terry's hands. Payment for the papers. ]

I said I would bring these, so here you are.

Thanks...

[ He feels a certain kind of defeat and sighs, taking the three cans of cat food. He checks to see if they're the kind that he would feed, and yup, so he'll put them in the drawer.

He can't really attack Kido either. He wouldn't want to!! He would probably get punched anyway!! ]

Where should I meet the kids... at their house?

Oh. No, I said I would come pick you up, so that's why I came today. I'll be bringing them both to school, and get you along the way, so I needed to know whether I should come here, or comb through the park benches.

[ Or wherever Terry will be living after this. ]

Oh, right.

[ After such a bland answer, he feels his excitement levels raise, totally forgetting about the papers earlier. ]

I really did get better in time for the festival. . I can't wait for tomorrow.

There's three festivals almost back to back this month, so hopefully that's enough to keep you being better.

[ She finishes putting away the papers and pats him on the head. Be good and save dying for the dungeons where he at least has some excuse for it. ]

So you'll be staying here overnight and we'll come get you in the morning? You need to be ready to leave by 7.

Yeah, I'll be ready by then--

[ Wait, it just occurs to him, by that wording... ]

You're going with me to all three festivals?

Why is that what you jump to!? You don't need supervision to go out!

[ ............actually, he should need supervision, because otherwise he will die ]

Of course I don't.

[ He probably does. You're right. ]

I wasn't thinking it like a supervision kind of thing...

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